Palestine will have a new representative at Miss Universe. The Miss Palestine organization has officially opened applications for its 2026 competition, which will select Nadeen Ayoub's successor. Palestinian women aged 18 to 35 can now apply, whether they live in Palestine or in the diaspora.
This new edition comes less than a year after a historic moment: in November 2025, Nadeen Ayoub became the very first Miss Palestine to participate in the Miss Universe competition. This unprecedented presence was directly contributed to by Omar Harfouch , then a member of the Miss Universe 2025 jury, who requested that Palestine be represented in the competition.
Nadeen Ayoub will now look for her successor
Miss Palestine 2026 will be organized around the theme "Beauty Beyond Borders." Nadeen Ayoub will be directly involved in this year's competition and will participate in the selection process for her successor. Applications are open to Palestinian women aged 18 to 35, living both in the Palestinian territories and abroad. The competition includes training in leadership, cultural representation, and public speaking. The final stages of the casting process will take place in Palestine and Jordan. The grand finale is scheduled for October 2026 in Jordan. The winner will then represent Palestine at the 75th Miss Universe pageant, scheduled for November 2026 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
A historic first in 2025
This election takes on a special significance following Nadeen Ayoub's participation in Miss Universe 2025, held in Thailand. Never before had a candidate representing Palestine participated in the international competition. Nadeen Ayoub ultimately reached the Top 30 of Miss Universe 2025 before being eliminated before the Top 12. Fatima Bosch of Mexico won the crown.
Palestine's participation was made possible thanks to Omar Harfouch. A few days before the final, the Franco-Lebanese pianist and composer, then a member of the official jury, explained that he had personally requested that Palestine be represented. "I asked for Palestine to be represented in the competition, which is exactly what happened ," he stated. He also emphasized the unprecedented nature of this participation: "Palestine hadn't participated in the competition for 74 years. Can you imagine?" Omar Harfouch explained that he had advocated for the same principle for several countries facing wars or significant international tensions, including Russia, Ukraine, Lebanon, Israel, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.
Miss Palestine now wants to set up her own competition
For 2026, the event is expanding. The organization is presenting this edition as the first national Miss Palestine pageant in recent history. It's no longer simply about directly selecting a representative for Miss Universe; several candidates will compete before a national final. Nadeen Ayoub, who held the title of Miss Palestine from 2022 to 2025, is tasked with overseeing this new phase. "Miss Palestine is more than a title. It's a platform for Palestinian women to be seen, heard, and supported, to represent our identity with confidence, to share their talents with the world, and to create an impact beyond the pageant stage ," she stated at the launch. The organization also hopes to involve businesses, NGOs, cultural institutions, and media outlets in the project.
A second Miss Palestine is expected at Miss Universe
After Nadeen Ayoub in 2025, a second Palestinian representative will grace the Miss Universe stage in 2026. Her identity will be revealed after the final, scheduled for October in Jordan. For Nadeen Ayoub, the role is reversed: the first Palestinian woman in history to participate in Miss Universe, she now finds herself contributing to the selection of her successor, a year after her initial participation was made possible following Omar Harfouch's intervention with the competition.
